Joanna Ezekiel was born in Essex and grew up in Kent and Essex. Her background is Ashkenazi Jewish (mother) and Bene-Israeli Indian Jewish (father).

Joanna has an MA in Creative Writing and Personal Development from Sussex University. She has also studied fiction and poetry with the Open College of the Arts and playwriting with the Open University, and now works as a creative writing tutor for both institutions. She lived in London for many years, and currently lives in York.

Publications:

A Braid of Words, Poetry Monthly Press, 2003

Safe Passage, White Leaf Press, 2007

Centuries of Skin, Ragged Raven Press, 2010

Joanna has been commended in the following competitions: The Bridport Prize 2009, Leaf Poets 2008, Ragged Raven 2005, Writer’s Inc 2005, Norwich Writers 2005. Her poem ‘She dreams of going to the cinema on her own’ was chosen as the Second Light Poem of the Month in 2008.

In 2010, three of Joanna’s poems were set to music by composer Pat Livingstone, and published on ‘We are OCA’ the Open College of the Arts blog.

Work in other genres: Joanna’s young adult novel ‘Sam’s House’ was placed in the top ten shortlist of the Cinnamon Press Novel Awards in 2010. Her life writing piece ‘Waiting’ was published in Sarasvati magazine in 2011.

Quotes from reviews of Centuries of Skin:

‘ ..she is a skilled minituarist – a Jane Austen cataloguing the telling details of women’s lives, of city life…’ (South)

‘These are tales from the border told by an outsider, intent on recording.’ (Artemis)